After a long wait — perhaps a little too long for Michigan transplants — Detroit Coney Grill, the Motor City-minded hot dog joint in Tempe, will open at 11 a.m. this Friday, August 30. Courtesy of Michigan native David Najor, who spent years working for his family’s grocery stores in…
Isabel, or Nana Isabel, is the matriarch of the Vasquez family, and her recipes not only fed three generations, but they inspired the opening of the Vasquez’s first restaurant, South Phoenix’s Poncho’s in 1972, and Someburros, the fast-casual, six-restaurant chain which opened its first store in Tempe in 1982. Now,…
Welcome to Chow Bella’s Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you’d like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. Arizona Restaurant Week, the twice-a-year event put on by the Arizona Restaurant Association, is gearing…
What do the stars of this year’s Valley dining scene look like so far? Like many across the country still adapting to the effects of the recession (so long, fine dining) and reacting to a culture more informed about food than ever (11 seasons of Top Chef and counting), they’re…
Pastry chef Country Velador, best-known for her inventive, top-notch desserts at Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale, is teaming up with husband Sergio to open a new sweet shop. Based on the couple’s handcrafted confections business (currently, you can find their products at places like Bodega, Pane Bianco, and The Farm at…
Heads up, Valley diners: Chef Bernie Kantak, Andrew Fritz, and mixologist Richie Moe — the trio behind the stylish yet easygoing Citizen Public House in Scottsdale — have announced their newest restaurant, The Gladly, will open this Saturday, August 31. Located at 2201 East Camelback Road (formerly Ruth’s Chris Steak…
This fall, the Valley’s growing cold-pressed juice craze will include noted restaurateur Sam Fox, who’s opening a walk-up stand of organic juices, coconut water-based refreshers, and nutrient-rich smoothies at the Scottsdale Quarter. Created with the help of executive chef Michael Stebner and alternative medicine man Dr. Andrew Weil of True…
What do the stars of this year’s Valley dining scene look like so far? Like many across the country still adapting to the effects of the recession (so long, fine dining) and reacting to a culture more informed about food than ever (11 seasons of Top Chef and counting), they’re…
Heads up, beer hounds: Arizona’s newest brewery, Huss Brewing Co., is opening its doors at noon today. Huss Brewing Co. comes courtesy of husband-and-wife team Jeff and Leah Huss, who spent over three years working to bring their dream of owning a brewery to life (Jeff is a graduate of…
Arizona State University students in Tempe starved for good-for-you eats like salads, wraps, and the occasional mint and pineapple smoothie need to look no further than their own campus. Freshii, the Chicago-based, healthy fast food chain with 75 locations in eight countries, opened its first Arizona location at 1290 South…
The aromas of the Valley’s barbecue scene just got one food truck stronger. Joining other ‘cue-centric mobile kitchens like AZ Barbecue, Tom’s BBQ Pig Rig, and Q Up BBQ, One-Eighty Q, the newest barbecue food truck, hit the streets in late July. Here’s what barbecue hounds can expect…
Beth Goldwater’s cheesecake is easily one of the best in town. Crafted from a recipe she took a year to perfect, it is bulky in appearance, yet lighter and less dense than you might expect, and its dark brown, thin cookie crust serves as a buttery and crumbly base for…
If you are passing through the doors of Bertha’s Cafe for the very first time, you probably have come for Beth Goldwater’s cheesecake. A poorly kept secret among Valley dessert hounds — those who can tick off their favorite spots for bread pudding without so much as a pause for…
Kick Ass Kakes, the cake-centric shop in Central Phoenix owned by artist-chef Jay Murphy — who made CNN news in January for his lifesize Lady Gaga cake — is expanding its sweet offerings. In early August, Murphy, a graduate of Parsons School of Design and Scottsdale Culinary Institute, opened The…
From the heartfelt to the mouth-watering to the ridiculously funny, nearly everyone can remember their favorite food movie or food-centric film scene. Which ones strike a chord with Valley chefs and restaurateurs? A few you might expect, some you may not, and a few that go way back — way…
Obed de la Cruz of the de la Cruz family, a name synonymous with Mexican food in the East Valley, is bringing his family’s recipes to Central Phoenix in the form of a new restaurant. Obed — whose family owns El Sol Mexican Cafe & Bakery and El Zocalo Mexican…
A new build-your-own pizza and salad concept has planted its pepperoni in the Valley. Called Fired Pie, the fast-casual local restaurant chain comes courtesy of Fred Morgan, Rico Cuomo, and Doug Doyle, three restaurant industry vets who, according to FastCasual.com, worked together for more than 15 years at California Pizza…
Bombay Spice Grill, the healthy fast-casual restaurant chain of Indian food owned by JNK Concepts (Roka Akor) is on the move. After five years, the company, which currently has Bombay Spice Grill locations in Chicago and Tempe, is closing its original Bombay Spice Grill & Wine off Tatum and Shea…
A new and decidedly unique pizza has hit the Valley’s thriving food truck arena — and this one comes stoned. Saffron Jak Original Stone Bread Pizza, billed by owners Jayson and Jaymes Khademi as “the only stone bread pizza in Phoenix,” features a rotating menu of globally inspired, stone-cooked pies…
Another restaurant has bitten the dust at 2605 North Seventh Street in Central Phoenix (northeast corner of Seventh Street and Virginia). The most recent victim? The Phoenix Cheesesteak Co., the former food truck started in 2009 by owner Ron Blom and his family. Known for its made-to-order original and specialty…
For the past three years, Tracey and Alex Chaker, owners of Gilbert-based Grizzly Foods, have been selling their homemade granola, balsamic vinegars, and Sticky Monkey Bun pastries in farmers markets throughout the Valley. In July, the husband-and-wife team expanded their business to include a restaurant and baked goods shop in…
Java hounds on the hunt for a coffee shop with a European edge may want to make note of Altitude Coffee Lab. Coming to the McCormick Ranch area in early September, Altitude Coffee Lab will feature an in-house roasting system, rare and exotic beans, and “a relaxed European-style atmosphere reminiscent…
